Nolan Flynn

Finding oneself immersed in the vastness of wilderness is the kind that both excites and humbles, and is never easy to capture. My work grows out of the difficulty of being overtaken by the natural world and the fleeting sensations that define our experiences within it. I’m drawn to narrative, but not a straightforward one. Instead, I build visual stories from fragments, memories, emotions, and sensations that collide without order.

What does it feel like to burn through the trees on a winter morning, wind and snow stinging your face, thought replaced by movement? Or to reach the summit of Olympus, exhausted but enveloped in the silver light of dawn? These are not singular images, they’re moments layered upon one another, forming something closer to how we actually remember: fractured, fluid, and alive.

In my paintings, I approach memory like collage. Dreams, recollections, and connections overlap through a kind of fractal rhythm. Some areas emerge with clarity and precision; others fade into gesture or abstraction. This contrast between the rendered and the elusive mirrors the way our minds hold onto certain details while letting others dissolve. My work challenges the idea of a “still image,” exploring instead how painting can echo the fragmented nature of time and memory.

Originally from Michigan, I moved west to pursue my Master’s degree and unexpectedly found a deep sense of belonging in the landscape of Utah. Today, I share my love for art as an educator at Stansbury High School in Tooele, where I teach ceramics, painting, and drawing. Outside the classroom, I maintain a vivid studio practice, painting daily and continuing to explore the interplay between place, perception, and remembrance.